Smproved machine for manufacturing picket-fencing



Unia STATES ArnNr OFFICE.

WM. W. JOHNSON, OF OLARKSBURQ'VIRGINIA.

Spccilication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 2&.021L dated May 17,1659.

To all whom t 12v/ay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. JOHNSON,

of' Clarksburg, in the county of Harrison and State of Virginia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Woodand Wire Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of' the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in whichFigure l represents a plan of the machine, showing the fence during theoperation of joining. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. Sis asectional view taken through the red line of Fig. l, showing the arrangement of cords and pulleys for operating the twisters, also showing thetwisters in' two positions, indicated by dotted red lines. Fig. 4. is aview of the segmental roller.

Similarletters of reference indicatelike parts in the gures.

The nature of my invention consists7 first, in the arrangement of cordsand pulleys op-` erated by a vibrating lever, so as to give a half-turnand reverse motion to a number of forks through which the wire passes,which forks act as twisters, and,in connection there` with, arrangingupon a rock-shaft in front of the f'orks two or more vibratingfingers,which operate so as to confine the lathes in place during the operationof the twisting.

It consists, secondly, in constructing the shaft upon which the fence iswound after it is nished by the twisters and iingers, so that it can bereadily taken to pieces and drawn out from the fence described,represented, and specified, as follows:

The frame of the machine is represented in the drawings by A. Thissupports the mechanism for manufacturing'the fence as follows: A numberof fork-shaped twisters, B, are arranged across the frame, whichtwisters have hollow shafts C, passing through and hav- -ing theirbearings in crosspieces D D. Be-

tween thcse cross-pieces are flanged pulleys E, threebeing representedin the drawings, which pulleys are made fast to the hollow shafts of thetwisters B and turn with them. Over these pulleys E are passed twocords, F,which also pass over two independent pulleys, G G,

. j placed in a line with and on each side of the .frame A, andbearingin cross-pieces D D. The

two cords F are passed in opposite directions over the pulleys, and arefastened to a sliderod, II, placed under the pulleys and connecting onthe outside of the frame with a lever, I, which is pivoted near thebottom of the machine and projects up a convenient distance for the handof the operator. By giving this lever a vibratory motion, the twistersor forks B are all moved half round and back again. Through the hollowshafts of each of these twisters B pass two wires, o a, and thence theybranch out and pass through two eyes in the bent portions of the prongsof said twisters,

and are carried through the fingers J, which are connected to arock-shaft, K, and spring K', operated by a crank, L, (with the foot,)and pass over a friction-roller, M, and down over the segmental rollerN, where they are rmly secured thereto. This roller is made up of threepieces, 1 r r, and held together by bolts ss. The middle piece, r', iswedgeshaped, and the bolts can be readily drawn,

and the roller removed from the fence without unwinding the latter. Theroller is so operated as to wind up the fence upon it as fast as thelatter is manufactured by the other parts of the machine.

On the end of the roller N are fixed two ratchet-wheels, d and e. Theratchet-wheel d has a pawl, g, which prevents the roller fromunwinding,while the wheel c, which is much larger, is operated by alever, I), and ratchet h, so as to turn the roller N in winding up thefence. f

On the end of the shaft of the roller M is a screw, R, which meshes intoa small toothed wheel, t', and turnsit as the roller revolves. Thiswheel d operates a small arm, j, which at every revolution of the wheelz' comes in contact with a click, 7c. rangementis to serve as anindex-to determine the length of the fence upon the roller N, as it iswound up. The wire passes from the reels between adjustable plates S,regulated by screw-nuts a, so as to adjust it to the requisite tensionbefore it passes through the *hollow shafts to the twisters.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The wire being supplied fromAa reel through the shafts and through eyes in each arm of the forks,and passing through the fingers and over a friction-roller, andterminating on the The robject of this ar- 2 Y 2&.029

roller for winding it up, all as above described, the operator moves thelever I forward with one hand. This turns the twisting-forks all at oncehalf round. He then places between the wires a slat, or board, or pieceof whatever material the fence is to be constructed of. The lingers Jare then pressed against the slat, and thus keep it securely in itsplace, while the operator then forces the lever I back again, when thetwisters make another half-revolution and confine the slat in its place.The fingres are then relieved and are drawn back by a spring, and theseveral parts are readyV for another slat, and the same operation isagain repeated. As the fence is thus made, it is wound upon the roller Nby giving motion to a lever, P, as already described. In this way afence can be made of any length required, and its strength anddurability, when com- WM. W. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. LURTY, p VALTER EBERT.

